


Don't Lick Foreign Objects

by fangirlSevera



Category: Tron (1982)
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-18
Updated: 2011-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-27 12:17:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/295773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlSevera/pseuds/fangirlSevera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whatever happened to Lora's orange?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Lick Foreign Objects

At first he thought it was a lost bit, sulking in its program's absence. "Hey there, buddy, cheer up." Ram nudged it with his toes. It rolled a little, but did not protest as a bit normally would. He crouched down and took a closer look.

Why, it wasn't a bit at all! It was far too round, even for a bit in neutrel mode. Its color was wrong, too. Far too bright. Then of course there was the fact that it wasn't moving.

Ram tentatively reached out and poked it. It rolled a little ways away again. He looked around. Perhaps it was some sort of new MCP weapon or trap. He had heard about rogue programs getting derezzed from unstable data blocks. He cast his eyes about nervously, but there wasn't any sign of foul play, no black guards watching smugly.

He picked it up and stood. It was dense, had a slight weight to it despite being so small. Ram squeezed it gently. It was sort of soft. There weren't many soft things in the system, at least, not any more.

He squeezed again, harder. His thumb broke its skin and went _inside it_. He pulled it back immediately. His thumb was wet and there was liquid seeping from the hole he made. Energy? It didn't feel like energy. The liquid on his hand gave no spark or any other sensation. He licked at the liquid coming straight from the sphere.

Blech! No, not energy at all. Not many things really had a taste in the system, but Ram knew this tasted strong and weird. He waggled his tongue in the air trying to get the strange, and frankly bad, flavor off.

Then the thought struck. Bad energy. Oh Users. Did he just infect himself with some kind of virus? He dropped the round, bright thing and staggered back a couple steps. He then turned and ran, shouting for help.

"TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

He almost ran directly into his friend, but Tron was too nimble for that, and hopped out of the way, despite running at full tilt himself, disc in hand, ready for danger. "Ram, what's wrong?"

Ram clutched at Tron, eyes wide, terrified. "How do I look?"

Tron frowned. "Like Ram."

"No! No, I mean. Do I look corrupted? Infected?"

Tron scanned him, head to toe, then back again just to make sure. "You are functioning normally and contain no systematic threats."

"That's easy for you to say," Ram huffed.

"Why did you think you were infected?" Tron asked, finally sliding his identity disc back in place between his shoulder blades.

"I found a...something. Let me show you."

He led Tron back to the sphere. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"I have not," Tron said, mouth set in a grim line. "I should have known if such a foreign object had entered the system."

"Maybe it's a sign from the Users," Ram whispered.

Tron looked at him."What kind of sign?"

"How should I know? I'm just an actuarial program."

Tron picked it up, Ram slid back a step, still wary. Tron stared at it, turning it around and around. Then, to Ram's horror, Tron licked at the spot where it was leaking. Tron grimaced. "Strange. But harmless." He tossed it to Ram who caught it deftly.

"Maybe we should still delete it, just to be on the safe side." He grinned at Tron. "Ready?"

Tron unhooked his disc, and grinned back, liking the idea of the impromptu target practice. He nodded.

Ram hefted the thing a couple times and tossed it in the air. Tron's disc came streaking at it in a blaze of light. When it connected, the sphere didn't disintegrate as they expected. Instead it _exploded_ into tiny, wet bits, spraying its liquid everywhere, splattering Ram and Tron.

Tron's disc came back to him. It too was covered in sphere-stuff. He tried wiping it off, but it turned out to be a bit sticky.

Ram looked down at himself. "What the-" he started, but Tron held up a hand, cutting him off.

"I think we've attracted some unwanted attention. Come on!" He ran off with Ram in tow, leaving a pair of confused black guards who had just come around the corner to clean up the mess.


End file.
